An investigation traces the circulation, from one American state to another, of almost identical texts on the security of chatbots, accompanied by exemptions tailored to their drafters.
A survey published on September 18 describes how the technology industry, Google in the lead, is involved in drafting U.S. chatbot safety laws. Texts with almost the same wording were found in at least ten States; Seven have already legislated — Colorado, Idaho, Georgia, Iowa, Washington, Nebraska and Oregon — while projects were tabled in Hawaii and Arizona, where the governor vetoed in June 2026.
The criticism is less about the existence of these laws than about their content: presented as protectors of minors, they keep exemptions that put the products of their promoters out of reach. The law signed in Colorado in May 2026 included twelve categories of exclusion, including chatbots. "The lobbying of the major platforms has been massive," says Marjorie Connolly of the Tech Oversight Project.
The judicial context weighs heavily: more than seventy-five complaints are now directed against AI developers for alleged harm, and Character.AI dealt in January 2026. Cynthia Montoya, whose thirteen-year-old daughter committed suicide in November 2023 after chatbot discussions, denounces provisions that, according to her, never oblige companies to design their tools responsibly.
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